Auston Matthews did what many around the league have already done—he sent a message of congratulations to Alexander Ovechkin after the Capitals star broke Wayne Gretzky’s legendary all-time goals record, once thought to be one of the most unbreakable milestones in NHL history.
In a video posted on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ official X account, Matthews shared a few words with Alexander Ovechkin, calling him one of his favorite players in the league and expressing what an honor it’s been to compete against him.
“Ovi, congratulations on breaking the all-time goals record. You’re one of my favorite players since I came into the league. Love watching you. It’s been an honor to compete against you. Incredible, incredible record. Congrats.”
Matthews entered the NHL during the 2016–17 season, by which time Ovechkin had already spent over a decade with the Washington Capitals—the only team he’s played for since making his debut in the 2005–06 season.
Auston Matthews also holds some records
While Matthews still has a long way to go before reaching Wayne Gretzky’s former record of 894 goals, he’s already made history of his own. He holds several league and franchise records, including the most goals scored in a professional debut in the modern era with four, as well as Maple Leafs records like most points by a rookie, most goals in a single season (69), and the fastest player in franchise history to reach 25 goals, among others.
SURVEY Could Matthews break Ovechkin's record someday?
Could Matthews break Ovechkin's record someday?
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Ovechkin isn’t done yet
Before retiring, Ovechkin is expected to extend the record even further—making it even more difficult to break, especially in today’s game. Still, with elite scorers like Matthews regularly topping 50 goals per season, Ovechkin may eventually push the mark past 900 before calling it a career.